Greatest college football upsets of all time: Does Vandy-Bama make the list?
By Sam Fariss
On Saturday, the unranked Vanderbilt Commodores took down the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide and it set the world of college football on fire.
It was a brilliant game by Vanderbilt's offense and while the Tide had a late-game surge and came close to the ultimate comeback, the Commodore defense held strong and walked away with the 40-35 victory over the top-ranked Alabama squad.
However, was Bama's dethroning by Vanderbilt one of the greatest upsets of all time?
To put it simply, yes, absolutely. These days (as in, for the past two decades), Alabama simply doesn't lose. Much less a top-ranked Alabama and much less to an unranked opponent. Here are a few reasons the upset is one of the greatest of all time:
. 40. 537. . Alabama: No. 1, Vanderbilt: NR. 35. 523. Oct. 5, 2024. vandy
- It was Vanderbilt's first win over Alabama since 1984
- It was Vanderbilt's first win over Alabama at home since 1976
- It was Vanderbilt's first win over a top-five team (much less No. 1).
- It was Alabama's second-ever loss to an unranked opponent as the No. 1 team
- No. 1 Alabama was coming off a win over then-No. 2 Georgia
- Nick Saban had just said, “The only place that’s not hard to play in the SEC is Vanderbilt.”
The Vandy-Bama game deserves a spot amongst the best upsets ever in college football, plain and simple. So, which upset games are also among the all-time greats?
34. Sept. 1, 2007. as mich. 2289. . 32. 485. . Michigan: No. 5, App State: NR
App State has had some memorable victories over the years, such as beating Texas A&M in 2022, but none compare to the Mountaineers taking down the No. 5 Michigan Wolverines in 2007. Despite running back Mike Hart's 188 yards and 3 touchdowns on the ground, the Wolverines couldn't slow down Appalachian State and fell to 0-1 to start their season.
. USC: No. 2, Stanford: NR. 24. Oct. 6, 2007. stan usc. 23. 519. 517.
During the height of USC football, the Stanford Cardinal took a trip south to Los Angeles and stunned the No. 2 Trojans. Even with 488 total yards of offense, the Trojans couldn't capitalize on their drives, especially as quarterback John David Booty threw four interceptions throughout the game. Stanford earned a 24-23 win over USC – one of just two losses the Trojans suffered that year.
21. 2364. Sept. 11, 2010. jm uvt. . . 16. 447. Virginia Tech: No. 13, JMU: NR
No, Virginia Tech wasn't a top-five team, the Hokies weren't even a top-ten program when they faced the unranked James Madison Dukes. However, VT has star quarterback Tyrod Taylor in the backfield and had kept pace with the No. 3 Boise State Broncos a week prior.
No matter the rank, JMU stormed into Blacksburg and knocked down the Hokies who went on to win out the remainder of the season and make their way to the Orange Bowl.
Oct. 9, 2021. 523. . tamu bama. 41. 535. . Alabama: No. 1, Texas A&M: NR. 38
The only other time in history that the No. 1 Crimson Tide has lost to an unranked opponent is when Alabama visited Texas A&M in College Station. The Aggies walked away with the stunning upset victory after kicker Seth Small made the 28-yard, game-winning field goal.
Honorable mention:
- Temple defeats No. 10 Virginia Tech, 28-24 – 1998
- Georgia Southern defeats Florida, 26-20 – 2012
- Syracuse defeats No. 4 Clemson, 27-24 – 2017
- Liberty defeats Baylor, 48-45 – 2017
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